Building microhospitals offers challenges, opportunities

Microhospitals,which are less costly — and faster to build — than traditional hospitals, are popping up to fill gaps in service and care for non-critical patients closer to home, according to th Healthcare Facilities Innovation Forum website.

With about 50 microhospitals in the U.S. and more on the way, this trend supports the push toward outpatient services.

Texas-based Emerus, an operator of microhospitals with more than 20 facilities in six states. Daniel Probasco, senior director of development & strategy at Emerus, said microhospitals can handle the majority of patient needs and need only two to three acres, so there are plenty of options for locations from neighborhoods to retail spaces.

In microhospitals, every design decision must be focused on the patient. For example, when physicians walk in the room, the sink is turned sideways so their back is never turned away from the patient.